2011 Nissan LEAF: Behind the Wheel of Our First All-Electric Vehicle

Leaf's Highlight: Nissan’s all-new, five seater hatchback, the LEAF, is America’s first mass produced vehicle to be built without an engine, tail pipe or gas tank. Recently, we had an opportunity to spend a few hours with the all-elrctric vehicle in a confined environment.
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What’s Unique: Like a cell phone, this vehicle requires a mobile charge cable (or an adaptor) for recharging. With the LEAF, a 120-volt easy-to-use, mobile charge cable comes standard. The 120-volt charge in the LEAF can take up to 20 hours to fully power the vehicle once its plugged into any three-prong garage wall outlet.

To help reduce the charging time, a $700 optional quick-charge port can be added to the vehicle, cutting the recharging time down to only 8 hours. A higher voltage outlet which adds about $2,200 to the car's price can be installed in the driver's garage to accomodate the quick-charge home port. Furthermore, by having the optional quick-charge port installed in your LEAF, this will allow the elctric car owner to take advantage of commercial charging stations, when they're away from home. By using a commercial charging station, this should take about 30 minutes to get an 80 percent charge, acording to the folks at Nissan.

Also the LEAF’s navigation system alerts the driver of the electric driving range distance  and the location of actual charging stations along your route. Having this feature, helps the driver avoid electric range anxiety Thus, keeping the driver aware of  how far he can drive – before the vehicle needs to be recharged. (In case the driver runs out of charge on the road, Nissan says an electric mobile roadside assistance service should be available to get the LEAF back on the road.)

Underneath the hood of the LEAF is the charging port.

MSRP: $26,130 (after a $7,500 federal tax credit)

Other Available State Tax Credits: http://www.nissanusa.com/leaf-electric-car/index#/leaf-electric-car/incentives/index

Major Standard Features: a push-button keyless starter; an auto dimming rear-view mirror; 16-inch wheels; LED headlights; rear spoiler; nav system; a 6-speaker AM/FM/CD audio with MP3 capabilities; iPod connectivity; XM radio; 6-standard airbags; power windows; power door locks

Electric Motor/Horsepower: 80 kW/107

Electric Mileage: 106/92 (city/highway)



This is how the battery pack looks underneath the floor of the LEAF.


Pros:

While the LEAF is available in two trim levels: the base SV and upgraded SL. It just makes good financial sense to pay the $940 required for the SL package, which consist of  automatic headlights, a rear spoiler with a solar panel, fog lights, a rear-view camera and a cargo cover.

The Nissan LEAF with the charging station open. This is similar to the fuel entry point for a gasoline-powered vehicle.

Also this zero omission vehicle avoids polluting the universe, since it lacks a tailpipe. In fact,  Nissan is claiming that the LEAF is about a quarter of the cost of fueling a gasoline vehicle. Nissan is basing this on the cost of electricity costing anywhere from 7 cents to 10 cents a kilowatt, as opposed to $3.00 a gallon for fuel.

Furthermore, the LEAF's nav system is slated to point out local (and national) charging centers once they become available.

Overall during our 10-minute road test we found the LEAF to be roomy and hybrid-quiet. And the vehicle accelerates just like a typical gas-powered vehicle. Conversely, unlike hybrids, this all-electric vehicle only has a top-speed of 90 mph.

This is how a mobile charging station may look in the future.

Cons:

Nissan agrees that this vehicle isn’t geared toward cross-country driving, since the all-electric vehicle has a driving range of 100 miles and the lack of charging stations that may be available throughout the country. Thus, this may create range anxiety for potential buyers, until there are a plethora of charging stations available.

Nissan is also quick to let consumers know that they’re not sure of the cost of replacing the lithium-ion battery pack once the 8-year/100,000-mile warranty expires or the 3-year warranty on the in-home charging station expires. (All of the LEAF’s standard car features are covered under Nissan’s 3-year/36,000 mile bumper-to-bumper warranty.) While we may not know the price to replace the battery pack in the LEAF, we do know that with hybrids, consumer should expect to dole out several thousand dollars to replace the hybrid battery.

And for the first-generation LEAF, don’t expect much on styling or accessories. The LEAF even lacks a sunroof, as to maximize the driving range.

Moreover, Nissan officials readily admit that the vehicle’s electric driving range could also be limited in extreme weather conditions --when encountering excessive heat. In fact when the a/c is in use this could suck up some of the electric power.

The LEAF is designed to help consumers find charging stations.

The Verdict:

Nissan readily admits that the LEAF is designed for consumer driving 100 miles or less round trip daily, which equates to around 36,500 miles annually. Based upon these stats, most Americans would qualify for a LEAF as long as they're not in need of a faimily size vehicle or need to stow a lot in the catgo area.

As we've all learned with any new venture, someone must be willing help blaze new trails. So far, over 20,000 potential consumers have signed up, plopping down the $99 required deposit needed to be one of the first to get the no hassle pricing Nissan LEAF. And due to the overwhelming demand, Nissan isn’t taking anymore orders until they have fulfilled their current backlog.

Also, while this vehicle is sure to change how and what we drive in the very near future, unfortunately, there are still a lot of unanswered questions about electric vehicles, as it relates to after-warranty expenses and the availability charging stations.

The LEAF doesn't have the traditional gear selector. There is a rotary-dialed mouse as seen in the photo located near the center console.

For instance, in Georgia and many other states throughout the country, there are currently no recharging stations. Also individuals residing in apartments (or condiminums) or those who park on the street may be at a loss for a charging stations, unlike those who live in a house. Yet, Nissan officials readily admit that the government is in the process of a slow rollout to phase, as it relates to building charging stations.

Moreover, just like when hybrids hit the scene, the government subsidized the initial ownership cost with tax credits. Conversely, last year the government quietly walked away from supporting hybrids (and diesels) -- shifting funds to electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids. And just like hybrids, don’t expect the government to subsidize these vehicles indefinitely.

So we’ll let you be the judge, until we get a chance to spend a few days actually driving the LEAF in a non confined driving environment. We do know that as gas prices rise, this will cause consumers to jump on the green bandwagon. If you’re in the market for a LEAF, leasing may be the best alternative so that you don’t have to be concerned about the after warranty expenses.

Indirect Competition: The Chevy Volt is a competitor, but it runs off both electricity and gas.